Overview

• The Taliban's supreme leader issued a decree prohibiting windows in new buildings that overlook areas such as kitchens, courtyards, and wells used by women, citing concerns over 'obscene acts.'
• Existing buildings with such windows are required to block views by constructing walls or other barriers, with enforcement overseen by municipal authorities.
• This measure is part of a broader campaign since 2021 to exclude women from public spaces, including bans on education, employment in many sectors, and access to public parks and salons.
• Women in Afghanistan are also prohibited from singing, reciting poetry, or speaking audibly in public, and their voices have been removed from some radio and television broadcasts.
• The United Nations has condemned these policies as 'gender apartheid,' highlighting the ongoing erosion of women's rights under Taliban rule.